Cantor says no House vote on the President's jobs bill
Washington (CNN) - House Majority Leader Eric Cantor flatly rejected President Obama's call for the House and Senate to hold a vote on his jobs bill by the end of the month, saying Monday the full bill, called the "American Jobs Act," won't get a vote in the House of Representatives.
Cantor criticized the President for continuing to press for a vote on the entire package, saying at his weekly session with reporters on Capitol Hill, "This all or nothing approach is unreasonable."
Instead Cantor announced the House will take up several measures this month that he believes House Republicans and the White House agree on, including the three pending free trade agreements with Korea, Colombia, and Panama.
The Majority Leader also said the House would vote on a bill to permanently repeal the 3% withholding tax on businesses that hold government contracts and take up other bills that roll back regulatory barriers for businesses. Cantor said the President Obama has made comments supportive of both of these areas.
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney, asked about Cantor's comment that House Republicans would just move parts of the jobs package, admitted the President would sign any of the individual pieces of the bill if they made it to his desk, "provided that they're paid for in an acceptable and fair way." But Carney said the President would continue to call for the rest of the bill to be enacted and put pressure on Congress to act.
In a tweak to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, Cantor noted the House movement on pieces of the President's economic agenda show the House is "able to do so much quicker than the Democratic controlled Senate." And the majority leader noted the division among Congressional Democrats on the President's plan, saying, "The President has got some whipping to do on his own side of the aisle."
But House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi continued to press Republicans Monday for a vote on the President's bill.
"Instead of supporting legislation to put people back to work and put money in the pockets of workers, Republicans are ignoring America's top priority. Republicans should schedule action on the American Jobs Act to help put Americans back to work," Pelosi said.
Cantor's blunt back hand to the President's appeal for a vote on Monday was a turnabout from the more conciliatory tone the Majority Leader and other top House Republicans used when they returned from their summer recess last month. GOP leaders acknowledged that voters were fed up with the gridlock in Washington and vowed to work with the White House to focus on measures aimed at helping the struggling economy.
The House Majority Leader stressed he still wants to work with the President on items Republicans support, but he took a swipe at the President's recent travels to his own Virginia district and to House Speaker John Boehner's home state last week. "I believe it would be a lot more helpful for the President to focus on areas of commonality rather than targeting House Republicans in campaign style tactics, and perhaps he can start compromising with us," Cantor said.
Cantor said there would be an announcement soon on the details on when the three trade deals would be sent to Capitol Hill, but indicated the House would move quickly after the announcement.
Please report when the republicans say YES to anything the President wants. This indeed will be news and a great day for the American people.
Of course the bullheads are going to say "No" for everything. But they don't know that on Nov. 2012, the american public is going to say no to them. It's coming my boys..it's coming. We know your goal of having this president for only one term.. but instead of him going.. you will be gone...
" This all or nothing approach is unreasonable": really, Eric? I guess doing nothing and then posturing ( as usual) is reasonable? Remember, all it takes to put Pelosi back in the Speaker's chair is about 26 seats, and you are making it very easy for us, Cantor. Get used to hearing "Speaker Pelosi"again, soon to be Minority Whip Cantor (again).
This is why i do not trust the current crop of repubilcations in the house. A few weeks ago they and the media this site included were blaming the president for not doing anything on the economy but now who is dragging their feet. The republicans have to been trying to regain the the white house since Obama got elected. They are doing nothing but obstructing. The republicans are trying to tip toe around the economy until the election. They want the economy as bad as possible when it time to elect a president. That is all they think they.
The "all or nothing approach" Cantor speaks of must be way different from his "all or nothing approach" on raising the debt ceiling. Otherwise, Cantor just called himself a hypocrite. Hmmm
Why get it all done at once? Better to wait until the entire country goes down the tubes before doing anything.
"This all or nothing approach is unreasonable."
So put it up for a vote and vote NO (again) to prove that the majority of the House, i.e., the GOP/Teatrolls, don't want to pass what Obama proposed. Simple. Or are you too much of a prissy little chicken, Cantor? The GOP/Teatrolls are the last people on Earth who should be pointing fingers and claiming the other side is saying "my way or the highway."
GOP Strategery: "Your continued suffering is our gain in 2012."
The Repubs don't want any jobs for anyone at ALL!
That's because you guys SUCK! You're the party of NO and DO NOTHING until the elections because you refuse to listen to any point of view that did start from your STINK TANK.
You want divisive "divide – the – country – in – two" talking points, GOPers? Take a long hard look at Cantor. Guys been wearing his love of everything corporate on his sleeve for three years now. Who knows, maybe Eric has plans on becoming our first CORPORATE dictator? Certainly speaks like one.
wow could this be true!?....the sooner we get rid of these clowns the better for everyone!
Cantor is talking compromise? Where was that weeks ago? With the Republicans it's always Our way or the highway. There has never been any compromise from the Republicans so I can't figure what he is talking about. Then again, Republicans think that most people don't pay attention to their lies and deceit, but some of us do.
Why not vote it up or down whiners? Are you afraid of putting your name on record opposing things that are overwhelmingly agreed to by large swaths of voters?
They are terrified that something that President Obama proposes might actually be effective. If they weren't they would just pass the package and let it speak for itself. They just can't risk that it might work.
It's time the electorate "flatly rejected" Eric Cantor.
wow could this be true? the sooner we get rid of these do nothing clowns the better for everyone!..they will not do anything to improve the economy..cos that would get OBAMA reelcted!....these people are screwing with your lives oh misinformed americans!
"The House Majority Leader stressed he still wants to work with the President on items Republicans support"
So only the things Republicans suport matter? Please get this guy out of office. It's time to govern. If he can't govern, without furthering a critical level of partisanship, then he shouldn't be in office. Governing is compromise. His policies would create absolute-ism.
Every elected republican in Washington DC should resign. They all put their billionaire donors ahead of the American people. Cantor is fortunate that his district voters like being treated like crap, like being told lies, and, like that Eric wants the middle class destroyed. I think the rest of us in America have heard enough from this low-life slug.
"President would sign any of the individual pieces of the bill if they made it to his desk, "provided that they're paid for in an acceptable and fair way.""
Now watch how the GOP proposes cuts to things liek successful hybrid car manufacturing to pay for it instead of getting rid of $4B in unnecessary annual subsidies to Big Oil while it reports record profits.
"American Jobs Act"......why waste the money?
The American do not but solar panels or windmills they buy tv's, eyeglasses, Levis, washer & dryers, refrigerators, toasters screwdrivers, furniture, computers, blankets and any other kind of goods that you care to name taht are no longer made in this country.
The buy foreign oil do drive to work so they can earn money to spend on goods made in foreign countries so they can borrow money from these foreign countries so we can support illegal aliens, other countries and wast on anything else they desire.
History lesson. During the civil war the south lost for just one reason, all the manufacturing was in the north.
We need real jobs.
Shorter GOP: "Ai't no uppity n-- gonna tell us what to do"
"This all or nothing approach is unreasonable." - Cantor.
Yeah,well, I find this do nothing approach unreasonable. - Me
A split Congress has been very bad for our country. I understand the frustration with the fact that it is taking a while for the economy to turn around, but I promise you that the approach of the Democratic Party will enhance standard of living for middle-class Americans in the long-term. The Republican Party's obvious siding with wealthy business interests may even produce a faster recovery, but the result will once again be an unstable economy and a widening gap between the haves and have-nots.
I am getting and sick and tired of the GOP leadership in congress's never ending opposition to everything that the president of the USA is proposing. Are they not listening what the public is saying about the jobs bill of the president. A majority think that taxing the rlch is not a bad proposal including many rich people. So far the rich have enjoyed the tax cuts thanks to Mr. Bush. Then why are no jobs created if what the GOP idiots say is correct. It is time to boot these thugs from office ASAP.
Dear Eric Cantor,
Compromise means one side gets some of what they want and the other side gets some of what they want. To say we will pass the things Republicans agree with is not compromise.